Avatar: Cry for Rebellion
by Cyeara
Summary: The Avatar isn't the Fire Nation's only problem.
1. Prologue

Ok, so this is my first fan-fiction. Critique it as harsh as you want, it won't bother me. Besides, it'll just make my writing better~

Anyways, here goes my first attempt.

Avatar: Cry for Rebellion

Prologue

A door banged in the darkness. Heavy steps hit the ground, banging against the cold metal floor. A man, probably around the age of forty, strode into the light. He stood tall and held his hands in a tight fist, clenching his anger.

"Why should I not be surprised?" he laughed, but his face still showed seriousness and anger. "You were never the child for obedience, but rebellion. But this.. this has gone to far," he hissed, his eyes blazing with utter fury.

"Commander Zhao.. if I may?" the girl who was sentenced to this room in torture stood facing Zhao, not taking an eye off of him.

"_Admiral_ Zhao," he scolded her, "I guess it has been awhile then." A sudden smile broke upon his face, but quickly left as fast as it came.

She had caught the little smile, "Ah, so you do remember me.." she smiled, "Maybe we can get this done faster then, shall we?"

He raised his eyes a little, "This will be your last time if I don't get a good reason out of you. So, tell me, why did you do it?"

"Oh you know, the basics. I hate the Fire Lord and everything that he tells you to do. I hate the way we have to do your dirty work. I hate how you make me hunt innocent people," she was smiling the whole time, saying every word like a stinging whip.

"You know what is coming to you right? Starting that riot and burning countless military ships was your worst mistake yet. Disobedience is something we _like_ to deal with here," he laughed, then turned around.

"So, what is it this time? My_ punishment_?" she asked as Admiral Zhao strode across the room slowly. He dragged his hand across a desk, picking up something small but longer. It shone against the fire blazing on the wall next to him. Her eyes quickly grew wider, not wanting to return to normal.

He quickly turned his head, eyes seemingly glowing against the darkness. He strode towards her with a new found shadow. "Now how should I punish you this time?" he mocked her, grabbing her shoulder so she couldn't run away this time. "There is no going back.." he smiled pulling out the object he grabbed from the desk.

The girl's heart quickened, "What are you planning to do this time? Chop me up into pieces so I won't tell anyone?"

Zhao smirked, "You've always had a sharp tongue to your mouth. Maybe this will shut you up for now." His knife cut through the cloak she was wearing over top, slicing into her back. The girl bit her lip, keeping from screaming out in pain. "Now, care to put this were your mouth is?" He dragged it towards her side and made a quick slip. "Still not telling me what the last thing you did was?" The knife glinted as it came back and touched her cloak.

She was already breathing heavily from holding in the agonizing screams. "Is that all you got Zhao? The great _Admiral_ Zhao," she smirked and blew a slight fire from her mouth to his face.

"MY FACE!" he stumbled back and held his hand to his scorching face. He dropped the knife and held his hand against a wall, breathing heavily.

The girl quickly jumped forward and grabbed the knife from under Zhao. He opened his eyes to see her picking it up, "You aren't going to get away.. You know that this is _your_ fate!"

"As if! I'll be out of your life in no time Zhao. No more worries right?" she jumped backed a step, turning around quickly.

He chuckled to himself, "You don't know your own nation well enough do you?" Zhao had quickly pulled his fist back then launched it forwards, throwing fire towards the girl.

She fell to the ground, her back felt as if it was on fire but she pushed it aside. After all, she dealt with fire all of the time. She pushed on the ground and slowly got up a little, but was pushed back down.

"Do you really think you can out trick me girl? I have dealt with plenty of people, but you're just like the others that act out," he spat. Zhao pushed his foot into her back harder, making her scream out in pain.

The girl slipped her hand over the knife handle and flipped over in one sudden burst. She thrust it towards Zhao and leaped out from under his foot. She slipped towards the wall and watched as he handled the knife.

Zhao easily moved over a step and laughed, "Is that really all you can do? I didn't even have to try!" he yelled out and his eyes darted to where the girl had been. He looked frantically around the room, scanning every little detail possible. "WHERE DID YOU GO!" he screamed out in anger, looking straight forward.

There was a hole in the wall, still flaming from her escape. It was only small enough for the girl to pass through. Zhao ran over to the hole and looked outside of it. A shadow flickered in the moonlight, already bounds away from the palace. "This isn't over yet.. Rye."


	2. Chapter 1

Avatar: Cry for Rebellion

Chapter 1

Rye flashed between the trees, not looking back at her once refuge. What was her past is long gone now. The images of the night was still fresh in her mind. Admiral Zhao had almost taken her life earlier that night. She had narrowly escaped just by what she's learned from watching him train her. She was only sixteen years old and wanted to be killed by the fire nation, her home nation.

"Free," Rye smirked to herself. Her life in the Fire Nation was rough. Her dad and uncle were called out to serve in the, so called, war. Both served for three years until their ship blew up in an accidental engine eruption. Her mom was never the same afterwards. She had to take care of her every time she went into a spiraling depression. No one helped her. It was as if Rye was alone in the world. She would have to steal food from the local markets and try to beg for medicine when needed. This sparked her rebellious side.

Before long, Rye had left her town. It was the middle of the night and their where no stars in the sky, but dark heavy clouds shifting over the moon. No one noticed she was gone, they were too busy with their lives until the news spread. A Fire Nation ship burned down one night. They showed the picture of the girl, who that town knew as a kid. From then on, riots broke out amongst groups of people all across the Fire Nation who wanted to stand up with her.

Of course, they all started to disappear. Fear broke out across the nation and many people kept their mouths shout. Rye didn't. She felt like nothing could stop her.

Rye closed her eyes after slowing her pace to a light walk.

_"FIRE!" sounded out across Admiral Zhao's Fire Nation warship. All of the Fire Nation warriors below looked up, shaken, towards the large scale fire. The fire was raging wildly and uncontrollably on the end of the ship. The ship creaked from the heat of the fire, unable to handle a fire this big. It was built to withstand fire benders, but nothing this big. Everyone scattered everywhere in the mass hysteria. It was a blur, people going left, people going right, people jumping off into the safety of the water and land. Just then, the darkness erupted into bright lights. The fire had burst on the deck and burned down most of the back. _

_Rye laughed at the sight of the benders afraid of their own element. She sat on a railing on downstairs front of the ship and jumped to the ground lightly. She pushed her hands forward and shot fire at the boilers, watching as they melted to nothing, exposing the gases. In a matter of seconds, she jumped over the railing and ran up a corridor. Many doors in the corridor were open, probably containing the crew's quarters. _

_"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" a man's voice hollered after her. "Get back here!"_

_Rye sprinted forward even faster, feeling the adrenaline take over. She felt like she was tripping over her own feet, stumbling up the stairs, "Zhao..." she whispered to herself. If she was caught this time, it would be the end for her._

_"I said GET BACK HERE!"_ _Admiral Zhao was stumping down the corridor and know on the stairs. She could make it out from his heavy footsteps. _

_"Almost.." she thrust open a door into a large fist. Rye fell backwards and was grabbed again by the fist; Zhao's fist. She bit her lip, looking straight at him with a nasty smile of delight._

_He stared back, he was in such rage she couldn't make out if he was actually going to explode. "Caught," he spat in Rye's face._

After a moment's rest, she opened her eyes up again. She had not walked but a few steps in her deep thoughts. It was going to be morning soon and she had to find shelter for the night.

Up ahead, she could hear the gentle lapping off water on a river bank. This was the only probable source of shelter, so she took her chances. What if the Fire Nation was there? With her eyes locked sharply on what was ahead, she took a few steps forward, then burst into a run.

"Fire Nation!" she stopped herself from running forward another step. along the riverbank was a small Fire Nation trade ship, or warship from the looks of what was on deck. She froze, remembering what happened after she was caught by Zhao.

_"Did I not tell you to LISTEN to me!" Admiral Zhao paced infront of Rye. "I told you not to screw up your life anymore that it already is. Now, look at my ship you rat," he scolded, mattering the words out. Rye looked at the ship. a minute ago, it was blazing and the fire's wrath was sinking the ship. Their were three large holes in the side from where the boilers exploded. Now that the fire was out, it was truly devastated and beyond repair._

_"Personally, I think it looks much better ashed over," she said, looking at him straight in the face, "Besides, the interior was boorring and everything was soo dirty." Zhao's face by now was red and he was clenching his fists again to contain his anger. "You're coming with me so I can decide your punishment."_

_"Fine with me. Let me guess? Locked in the prison for a month but you'll let me free because they all think I'm too young? Good decision!" Rye jumped up and smiled, walking towards his office. Deep in her mind, she knew it wasn't going to be easy this time. _

After coming to her senses again, she looked down. "Should I take the risk? It's just a small ship.. it won't be that hard if I get caught.."

The ship's anchor started to real up. If she didn't go now, there won't be another chance for shelter or even a ticket out of the Fire Nation. Rye's eyes flashed up as soon as she saw the sudden movement.

"I'll regret this.." she ran forward and went down the dock, watching the anchor's chain moving up. When she caught first sight of the anchor, she jumped off of the dock and grabbed the edge of part of the anchor. It was slippery, easy to lose her grip if she shifted a little.

As the anchor rose above the dock, she looked down at it. She was in the middle of freedom and life on the run. "Halfway there," she smiled and grabbed onto the hole where the anchor went. As the anchor slid into the hole and banged against the metal ground of the ship hold, she jumped through.

"Right there, get it!" one man yelled. Rye froze and looked towards the voice. It was a Fire Nation warrior. He started to walk towards her, then broke into a run. Suddenly he stopped.

"Why is he stopping?" she thought to herself, "Why not get me now."

The man bent down and picked up part of the anchor. A second man came out from the shadows and grabbed the other end. They both lugged it too a corner of the hold and left it there.

Rye gagged from holding her breath in the dead silence. She crouched down and looked about. There was some light showing from a door at the other side of the hold. They men who dragged the anchor away opened the door and banged it close. The light had disappeared and she was left to sit in the darkness.


	3. Chapter 2

Avatar: Cry for Rebellion

Chapter 2

A loud bang sounded on the metal ceiling above her. Rye jumped up in the darkness, crashing into a pile of boxes. She toppled over them and slowly got up. She was dazed from her sleep. Another bang completely awoke her. Her eyes shoot up and looked at the little light shining through a new hole in the ceiling.

Rye climbed on top of a large crate and then a box on top of it. She felt the hole with her hand, it wasn't hot so it couldn't have been a fire bender. She flicked her hand to hold a ball of fire, lighting up a small area. She peered closer at the hole, exposing its steel sprawled out and curling over.

Another bang from above and she found herself falling off of the box. The hard landing left her there for a second before she realized she had to get up. The ship was creaking and moaning, sounding like it would give way any second now.

Rye rushed towards the door, stumbling over many of the crates. The door's handle was in her hand just as it flew open. She crouched below the metal stairs leading to the door as a fire bender fell to the round inside the hold. He laid sprawled on the ground, twitching his hand. She gasped, then covered her mouth. the man on the ground was dazed, and didn't look up when Rye had jumped onto the metal platform.

She walked down the hallway, cautiously taking in the noises around her.

Footsteps, then another bang. Another fire bender came into view. He was running down the hallway. After he turned the corner, a ball of air hit the wall and exploded. The fire bender skidded on the ground, regaining balance then continued running. "Get out of here!" he grabbed Rye's arm and started to pull her with him.

Rye knocked him off of his arm out of his confusion and ran the other way towards where the ball of air exploded. There were no more air benders, but who did this?

By the time she turned the hallway, she saw the light of day and a little kid flying around on an old-designed air temple stick. It's wings were spread out, sheeted in a darker orange and it was in perfect shape for being so old.

It hit her. The little kid's appearance looked like the one in her book when she was a kid. The blue arrow tattoos along his body, the Air Temple's style, his bending. It was the avatar.

Behind the avatar were two other people. From the looks of which, both of the Water Tribe. The older boy was obviously clumsy and not a real bender, but a warrior. The girl too, looked not of a bender, but a lowly peasant. She watched from beyond, yelling at the avatar, but nothing bad.

On the other side of the ship, fire benders. They didn't look like the normal benders. In fact, Rye couldn't even recognize the one who was leading them. She had never seen him in the Fire Nation. His left side of his face was scarred, leaving Rye with a disgusted face. How could anyone get scarred like that?

The Avatar fell to the ground, but flipped over and deflected the fire. He kicked the air as he flipped and it knocked back all of the fire benders. The girl shouted at the avatar something, but Rye couldn't make it out.

Something hit her. She fell to the ground seeing a fire nation warrior collapse beyond her.

"Aang! Right there, another one!" the girl called to the avatar, who Rye caught was Aang. Aang turned and caught sight of Rye and flipped over making a ball of air hit her. She felt herself being pushed backwards.

A hand grabbed her, "Get up warrior, I don't pay you watch the fight!" The scarred man stood over her, looking at the avatar in rage. He thought she was one of his Fire Nation warriors.

Rye decided to join in the hit after being forced up into the battlefield. The Water Tribe girl flung a short trail of water, just falling before Rye. "I guess she was a bender.." she laughed a little, jumping to the side.

Feeling her body move for her, she gracefully moved forward, launching fire at the avatar.

"Watch out Katara!" said the boy holding the boomerang behind the girl. He flung the boomerang forward, missing Rye. She smiled a little, thinking this was going to be easy.

"YES!" the boy yelled, "Fire Bender down!" he laughed and caught his boomerang while dancing around. "Sokka, stop that!" the girl yelled at him, as she tried to bend again, but failed.

Rye was on the ground, from being hit in the back where he cut was with the boomerang. She could feel it reopen and burn. Out of her short temper, she jumped up and spun around, kicking fire at the two Water Tribe members. The fell back onto the ground, trying to put out the fire.

Aang stopped short and looked at who shot the fire. His eyes were glowing harder than before and he unleashed winds. Rye moved back a little, then heard someone talking to her. "HIT HIM!" the man yelled, the same one who told her to get up, the same one who had the scars.

On command, she responded back with a fire ball that hit Aang, making him fall to the ground. Aang got up, his eyes fixed on her. She could she him do some fancy trick, throwing out the air. She jumped up, missing on of them. As she fell to the ground on her feet again, she saw another out of the corner of her eye. "Seriously!" she whispered as she jumped out of the way. While jumping, she could feel the wind being knocked out of her body.

Rye feel to the ground, her cloak was laying on the ground a few feet away. "A girl!" the man hissed as he tried to hit the avatar with his fire.

Close to her, two men stood frozen as Aang jumped onto the glaciers and onto the bison.

The ship creaked as Rye slowly got up, then shook violently as it ran into the ice. Rye fell back down and landed on her side. She tried to get up but her arms didn't let her.

"Go after the Avatar!" one person yelled, followed by the comforting voice of an elderly man. "But Zuko, we're stuck and two of your men are frozen."

"Fine," the man muttered, "You two, go unfreeze them," he pointed to the two frozen warriors. Two fire benders got to work on that while she heard footsteps coming closer.

"Who are you!" a voice said, but she didn't see who said it. Rye felt herself being helped to a sitting position. It was the man with the scarred face. He backed up a little, his eyes were wide and fixed on his hand. Her fingers were covered with blood from Rye' back.

"Nevermind, we need to stop the bleeding," he said. Rye nodded still not knowing who this man was.


	4. Chapter 3

Avatar: Cry for Rebellion

Chapter 3

Rye awoke to the shifting of the boat, making her uneasy for a second. She jolted up, looking around. "Fire Nation! Why'd you take ME!" she screamed at the fire bender who was working near a table in the back.

On the table were plenty of mixtures, herbs, and fire lighting the table with vivid sparks of oranges, yellows, reds, and blues.

The fire bender turned around and stared at the girl, not anticipating that she was going to get up at that moment.

She saw the bender's broken mask and she jumped out of bed, throwing fire at where he was standing.

The man had run to cover when he saw such sudden movement. He covered his neck with his hands and was sprawled against the ground. He had narrowly escaped it. When the fire bender moved his sight, there, his table was lit on fire. All of the potions in the glasses had broken against the ground. His herbs had burned to ashes and the fire was spreading across the floor.

"What the hell is.." the scarred man's face appeared again, anger racing through his eyes. He scanned the room quickly, taking in the burning table.

"I said GET AWAY!" Rye screamed, on the ground. She had fallen to the ground from weakness and confusion. It felt like she was in a nightmare. Flares raging and fire benders coming to get her.

"You again.." he scoffed, yelling for some of his men to put out the fire.

Before the scarred man could answer, the fire benders trying to put out the fire fell to the ground, "ZUKO, WATCH OUT."

The man looked up at where they had left, "Idiots! GO FIX IT!" he yelled, moving towards it to put it out.

Rye looked towards the table. It smelt of rotten eggs and she wrinkled her nose. Before she could register what she thought, Rye jumped up and knocked him out of the way. "It's going to explode. What the hell were you thinking!" Her voice was drawn out by the eruption from the table. On of the glass bottles had fallen over onto another one and created flammable and toxic gas. The blast left the room darkened, smelling of burnt ashes. She fell onto the ground, feeling herself fly to the ground, knocking the air out of her.

When Rye felt her senses coming back, she moved her head a little. Everyone else was pinned against the floor, except for the scarred man. She felt herself being picked up, carried somewhere. Her eyes grew heavier as she started to move away from the room where she had wrecked. Rye's eyes fluttered shut, slow to open again, then closed.

When she awoke again, it was in a new room. There were a few large chests, a wall mirror, torches on the wall, currently lit, and plenty of Fire Nation furniture and random items. She was on a bed, it was fitted with red silk sheets and red and gold trimmed pillows. It had a drape over it, but it was put up.

She moved her head a little, her vision blurred. There was a man in front of her. He tore his shirt off from his body. She could make out the ashes on it, burnt holes, and ripped sides. His back was burnt, but he didn't mind it, or at least it looked like he didn't.

After rummaging through a large dark brown chest, he came up with a new shirt. He slipped it one and turned around the face the girl, who was now sitting up on the bed. He sat on the other side of the bed and turned his head, "Your back is still bleeding, I think I have something to wrap around it..," he got up again to look for the bandage wrap. "But tell me, who are you?"

"Why should I be telling you?" she mocked, "Now, who are you?"

He shifted his eyes a little, "Watch your mouth, I'm the one helping you here," he sharply said back. The man stood at the edge of the bed and wrapped on of the ends around her, covering part of the deep cut in her back. "Since you won't tell me who the hell you are, I'm Zuko."

"Never heard of you," she flipped her head back to the normal position so she couldn't see him.

"_Never heard of me.._," he mumbled to himself, "Well, we can change that. I'm Zuko, once Prince of the Fire Nation. My father is the Fire Lord, Ozai. He always loved my sister more than anything, so he gave her special treatment. My sister is Azula. She was the _prodigy_ child. She is cold-hearted and a bitch to everyone. She's emotionally unstable and power crazed. The only person who truly understands me is Uncle Iroh. He's agreed to support me and watch over me."

"Zuko," she said, saying his name for the first, "what do you mean by _once prince_?"

"Banished, forgotten? Whatever you want to call me. I was only thirteen when I spoke against my father in a meeting and demanded me to a fight. That's how I got this. But no sympathy right, except for getting stripped of _my_ birthright and sentenced to leave _my_ home!" he started to yell angerly, his hands feeling like fire and burning the wrap. He dropped the ashes from the bandage and finished wrapping.

Rye looked down, seeing the wrap go around a few times and now feeling sympathy for the man. "I wouldn't have known.."

"I know you didn't," Zuko said cooling off a little. "And I still don't know your name," he put his hand on her shoulder and made her face him.

"Rye."

"Rye, you can stay in my room for the night then," he got up and walked out the door. As the door shut, all the torch lights went out and the room went dark for the night. She lay down, but couldn't seem to fall asleep from all of her wandering thoughts.


	5. Chapter 4

Avatar: Cry for Rebellion

Chapter 4

It was only dawn when the sun arose in the sky. The heat continued to grow by the minute as the ship moved farther out of the Fire Nation. Most of the fire benders were already moving around the deck, slowly coming to their spot for guard or for work. They didn't seem to notice the girl on deck, watching everyone walk out and about.

"So Rye, where have you come from?" Iroh smiled as he sat in front of a little table filled up with cards of the different elements. Each parchment colored card was labeled with simple words and images of the element. They were aligned in some pattern of his sorts, like a game. In fact, she had remembered watching her instructor as a young kid play this game whenever he had the sudden urge to calm down. Iroh had placed a pot of tea on the edge of the table, constantly filling up his little cup with tea. The two had been talking around an hour before day break. She was hoping to meet Iroh after hearing him the night before, he was the one to trust if anything.

Rye sat down on the opposite side of the table and watched him play around with the cards, shifting them into different spots then back. She flicked her charcoal colored hair back and stared at every move he made, not really taking it in, "I haven't told anyone yet, but I used to live right in a small village right behind the palace. Most of the highly recognized fire benders lived there, only to realize who I was later."

"Well, tell me why you moved? Who would want to move when you live so close to the palace?" Iroh said, his voice full of question and wonder on why such a person would do such a feat to move.

"Oh, where to start. I guess the same reasons as everyone else, but they would never stand up for it like I did," she admitted, half being true. Everyone hates the idea of this war, knowing how power hunger the Fire Lord can be; but the idea of being severely punished holds them down."

He nodded, understanding the same idea, "I see, speaking out against the Fire Lord?"

"You got part of it dead on. I only left because Zhao caught me. I tried to burn down his ship one night, and after I did my deal, he had chased me down on board," Rye explained, showing it with her hand motions as well.

"Ah, Admiral Zhao caught you. He is a tough one to get by, so why would you even try when you're so young?"

Her eyes flashed over to Iroh, showing her own opinions, "You don't understand. I hate the feeling of being left to do whatever they want me too. I was always their _go to_ for work." It was true. When someone needed to be caught, they'd go to that small village and pay for the bounty. With her mom being the only one there most of the time, she was left to pay for everything. This was her job for them. Rye soon learned stealth and how to work with the Fire Benders. It was like she was one of them, cold blooded and power hungry; but never used those to her advantage.

"Rye, don't you think we all here think that too? You know, Zuko was banished by his own father when he was thirteen and he didn't know what he was getting into. His father challenged him to an Angi Kia and he wasn't prepared, let alone told what it was. His own sister loved watching every moment of the fight, down to when he got that scar. That mark is left their forever now, reminding him everyday of what his own father did to him. He's got a large shadow following him around you know. He barely gets anything good coming to him," he said, in his everyday wise voice. His eyes showed emotion towards Zuko, mostly worry and pain.

"I know Iroh.. but," Rye looked across the table, past Iroh and stared at the water beyond. It seemed to curve and wrap over the earth into nothingness.

A door flew open against one of the walls inside the ship and then slammed closed again, scratching against the metal hinges. Zuko walked out, rubbing his one god eye from just waking up, late. Without any notice or care to what he was wearing, he stepped out in just his pants. He started to walk down the long corridor, looking almost identical to the one that Rye ran down in Zhao's ship, he stepped up the stairs slowly, feet banging on every metal stair. As he rounded the next corridor, not paying attention, he banged into the wall. Not saying anything out loud, he just mumbled under his breath and looked at the wall. It wasn't pristine, but scarred with burn marks, leaving a faint trace of ash scattered against the walls. "The girl!" Zuko turned around almost so violently, he could have lost his footing jumping down the stairs. Down the corridor was a large gold door with intricate engravings to his likings, the door to his room. It didn't look like it had been opened at all, but it had been.

He turned the handle to the door, slowly opening it up and exposing it to the outside light. The darkness vanished instantly and replaced it with a soft light that touched everything in the room. The torches burst into flames as he walked one step into the room, as if recognizing who the person was. The bed was all undone. The sheet laid tussled and clumped on the edge of the bed, falling off lightly to graze the ground. The pillows laid unaligned against the backboard, one on the ground next to the bed. Zuko scanned the room and for a second, worry came through his mind. He slammed the door shut and ran back up the stairs, careful to run the other way this time.

When Rye heard footsteps running up the stairs she quickly turned to Iroh, emotion and memories flickering through her eyes as if showing Iroh why she doesn't want to tell Zuko, "Don't let a word about all of this slip out to Zuko."

Iroh stared back confused, in awe wonder why she wouldn't want him to know such a thing as close to his life's story, "But Rye, why would you want to hide it form Zuko?"

Rye swiped her hand backwards towards him as if saying to just shut up and play along. Iroh shrugged, shoulders falling back into a relaxing position as he let out a sigh of ok. He reached down and poured some more tea into his cup, sipping it slowly to savor the flavor he loves and knows by heart.

"Uncle! Have you seen the girl!" he shouted, running through the doorway to see him sipping his tea and playing cards. "UNCLE!"

"Prince Zuko, she's been here with me since day break," he smiled at Zuko, who was taken aback.

Rye was already up and walking towards him "You're late," she smirked as she poked a finger at his chest.

Zuko looked down, feeling himself starting to burn up in his face, he moved her finger away carefully. "I meant I thought.. uh uhm," he stuttered and seemingly lost all words.

"Prince Zuko, sorry to wake you up, but we must go to the next port and repair our ship. If we don't, you won't get to catch the Avatar. And if it were me, I would think you had some feelings for her if you worry that much," he chuckled, watching his nephew come back to his words.

Zuko walked past Rye after much hesitation and start to return to his paler face, "But Uncle, we need to go after the Avatar NOW! If we stop we'll lose his trail."

He scoffed, letting out a sigh and slumped over a little, "But Prince Zuko.. we have to repair our ship."

Rye could already tell his temper was rising, "Fine Uncle, but it better be quick so we don't lose the trail.

And, you better not tell anyone about the Avatar when we go to dock in the Fire Nation port. If _any_ fire benders hear about it, they'll take away the Avatar from right under us."


End file.
